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Katherine (Schmitz) Fery
Katherine "Katie" Schmitz (Sept 25, 1886 - Nov 26, 1971) was born September 25, 1886 to Mathias Schmitz and Maria Ehr in Raymond, Iowa. Marriage to Nick Schmitz She married Nick Schmitz on January 11, 1910 in St. Joseph's Church, Raymond, Iowa. Katie's brother, Matt, served as best man and her cousin, Margaret Weber, was her bridesmaid. Although Nick and Katie's family names were the same, no relationship has been traced so far between the two. Nick's father and mother, Jacob Schmitz (1841 - Sept 1922) and Catherine "Katie" Wirtz (1839 - Aug 1925), were born in the area of Trier, Germany. Nick and Katie lived on her father's farm at Raymond for three years. In 1913, they moved to Oregon to be with Nick's aged parents on their farm near West Stayton. Adoption of Maurice Van Eyckern A son, Maurice, was born to their neighbors, John Van Eyckern and Eva Warrick, on July 27, 1917. He was christened Maurice, with Nick and Katie as his godparents. About a year later, while they were taking care of Maurice, his mother died giving birth to a daughter, who also died. Shortly after that, John's health failed and Nick and Katie continued to care for Maurice. In early 1920, Nick and Katie, who had been childless thus far, legally adopted Maurice and raised him as their own son. Daughter A daughter was born to Nick and Katie, but lived for less than an hour. She had been christened Margaret. In 1922, the family moved to California in search of a climate better suited to Nick's failing health. They first settled at Elsinore, and some six months later at Riverside. Nick's mother accompanied them before dying in 1925. Marriage to Andrew Fery Following Nick's death, she continued to live in Riverside. She married Andrew Fery on April 15, 1944 in Hollywood, California. Andrew was a widower and had a grown family, including Edna Fery, who married Katie's brother, Valentine. Andrew had lost his wife Caroline several years earlier. Katie's son Maurice and his wife Christena were the attendants. During the years that Nick Schmitz had lived in Oregon, he and Andrew had been close friends. They had worked together on threshing crews for a number of years and their families often visited each other. They had always kept in touch and visited each other after Nick and his family moved to California. Katie moved to Oregon again to live with Andrew in his home at Stayton, the area where he had spent most of his life, and where his family had grown up. In 1966, after Andrew died, Katie moved back to North Hollywood, California to live near her son and his family in North Hollywood. She died there on November 26, 1971 following a lengthy illness. She is buried at Olivewood Cemetery in Riverside next to Nick, her first husband, and Margaret, her infant daughter. Category:Mathias and Maria Schmitz Family Category:Nick and Katherine Schmitz Family Category:Andrew and Katherine Fery Family